The present invention relates to exercise devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to exercise devices for stretching a human body.
Stretching has been recognized for many years as an important part of exercise programs for general fitness and for physical therapy. Stretching before and after an exercise program increases flexibility and reduces injuries. In physical therapy, stretching is used to recover flexibility lost through injury or disease.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,955, incorporated herein by reference, describes a back stretching system that uses the gravitational forces acting on a human body to stretch the lumbar region of the spine and thereby alleviate the conditions of herniated and bulging discs. The machine, as described, focuses on the lumbar region and does not provide a uniform stretching load over the body. It also does not provide any means for adjusting the load.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,938,573, 5,626,547, and 5,529,560, all incorporated herein by reference, provide stretch therapy apparatuses for physical fitness, rehabilitation, and medical treatment. However, none of the systems described are capable of placing a uniform, selectable, longitudinal load on a human body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,336, incorporated herein by reference, describes a stretching machine having a framework with a number of restraint points for fixing various points on a user""s body and a motor-driven tractive line for applying a load to the user""s body. However, there does not appear to be means for applying a fixed load having a predetermined value uniformly to a human body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,422, incorporated herein by reference, describes a variable traction apparatus that uses gravitational forces on a user""s body, supplemented by added weights, to provide a controlled amount of tractive force. As with all techniques using gravitational forces on an inclined or vertical body, the stretching force varies over the body with the higher body parts supporting a greater portion of the body weight than the lower body parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,349, incorporated herein by reference, describes a lumbar traction apparatus specifically designed to apply a tractive force to the lumbar region of patients with lower back problems. The apparatus does not stretch the entire body and does not provide the user with control over the application of the load.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,175, incorporated herein by reference, provides a traction table for patients in need of such treatment but does not provide a safe stretch exerciser that can be operated by the user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a human body stretching apparatus that applies a uniform longitudinal stretching force to substantially the entire body.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a body stretching apparatus that applies the load gradually, thereby avoiding the risk of injury due to shock loading.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a body stretching apparatus wherein the magnitude of the loading force is selectable and stable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a body stretching apparatus that may be operated easily and safely by the user without assistance from another person.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a body stretching method that stretches and tones the entire body at one time, thereby reducing the time required to maintain fitness.